Tavarna Papalii to make Women’s State of Origin debut 18 months after tearing her ACL

On my 18th birthday, while playing for Queensland in school girls state cup, I tore my ACL.

It was supposed to be a celebration, a milestone moment as they say. Instead, I was confronted with devastation.

Now, just 18 months later, I’m about to make my debut for Queensland in the Women’s State of Origin.

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When I run onto that field, I won’t just be carrying the hopes of a win – I’ll be carrying 18 months worth of rehab and redirection, and fuelled by the hopes of being back on the field sooner rather than later.

Tearing your ACL is no joke. For athletes, it can often be career-ending. For anyone else, it’s a gruelling battle.

I remember the snap, I can still recall the sound – the pain, the fear, the long road of recovery all flashed before me.

I also remember the silence that followed and the internal voice that kept on saying to me, “No, this cant be happening, I’m too busy for this”.

I knew I was really injured. I knew I wasn’t going to play footy for a while.

Rehab was a new domain for me. I had been playing both league and sevens since under 12s.

There wasn’t a time in the last six years where I wasn’t on the footy field. To not to not be able to play? Well, it was challenging, it was restricting and, to be honest, at times completely frustrating.

Although the rehab was a long, slow and at times difficult process, weirdly it was also something that excited me.

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I was now given an opportunity to slow down, step back and view the game from a different perspective.

I also had a powerful desire to get back on the Rugby League field. Back to the game I loved.

I had an immense amount of support from my family, who continually reminded me of my potential.

I gave myself 24 hours from the time of the injury to cry and really accept that I was injured and out for the season.

After that, I had the belief from within me that this was simply a redirection.

I knew I would get on to the footy field again and I knew I was going to work harder than ever to make not just my knee, but my whole mind and body fitter, faster and stronger than ever.

Because this, this I what I’ve always wanted to do. Play footy.

Before moving to the Gold Coast, I spent a lot of my childhood growing up in Claymore, Western Sydney, surrounded by a family and community that live and breathe rugby league.

My household backed the Blues. Thankfully, now they’re proudly cheering for the Maroons, as I pull on the jersey for the first time this year, that means everything to me.

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To have the love the support of my family, especially loyal Blues fans I can’t even encapsulate what that means to me.

Although I’m still in the infancy of my career, when I take the field for Women’s State of Origin I will be embracing the opportunity wholeheartedly.

It is not lost on me that I’m not just representing Queensland – I’m representing every young girl out there who’s faced injury, adversity, self-doubt, or setbacks.

I want them to know comebacks are possible and the challenges that are paired with injury are not something to be afraid of.

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They can pop up at the most unexpected times, but don’t shy away from it.

Life will continue to throw curveballs, injuries or otherwise. It’s often the universe’s way of redirecting us and allowing us to dig deeper in to who we are on and off the field.

When I reflect on my experience, my injury taught me more than any win ever could.

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It taught me patience, discipline and an enormous amount of gratitude for a functioning body.

It forced me to slow down and reflect on why I love rugby league, and it reminded me that goals don’t disappear when things go wrong, they just take a different path.

The next Women’s State of Origin game – Game II of the 2025 series – will take place at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Thursday, May 15.

Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45pm AEST, and the match will be broadcast live on Channel Nine. Tickets are currently available through Ticketek.

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